ACS helps film star relive D-Day landings 65 years on

Air Charter Service's account manager, Mark Garza, received a telephone call from a Sunday newspaper, the News of the World, last week asking for a flight to help commemorate probably one of the most significant days in history.

Almost 65 years to the day after the D-Day landings of World War II on June 6th 1944, the newspaper, with the help of ACS, took Richard Todd back to Normandy where he had been the first paratrooper to jump from an aircraft over the French province.

Just a few days short of his 90th birthday, Todd feared he may be too old to visit the site once more for the 65th anniversary. The News of the World decided to step in and charter an aircraft to transport Richard to France, and this is where ACS was able to help. On a Friday evening Mark was able to swiftly find a suitable PA34 to take Todd, and two of the newspaper’s reporters, across the Channel to the French airport of Caen in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Todd, however, is not best known for this, but in fact became a household name as a movie star in the 50s, 60s and 70s. He appeared in World War II inspired films such as The Dam Busters. Significantly for this trip, Todd re-enacted the D-Day scenes he took part in 18 years later when he appeared in the 1962 film The Longest Day playing his own commanding officer, Major John Howard. Strangely, someone else portrayed Todd in the film! Email the passenger team on passenger@aircharter.co.uk